Forget yoga, we love the pub

From stretching into tricky yoga positions to scouring the shops in search of the latest fashions, the truth about how Londoners spend their spare time is revealed in a new study.

We may work the longest hours in Europe, but Londoners know how to enjoy their time off. Eating out, reading and foreign holidays are the three most popular activities - but very few of us help out with charity work.

Lifestyle TV shows have pushed cooking, gardening and DIY high up the list, according to a report by marketing solutions company CACI.

Based on a survey of thousands of households in the capital, the study proves that yoga remains a fringe interest, despite its A-list fans - and is not nearly as popular as a game of bingo.

Victoria Beckham claimed yoga helped her regain her figure after the birth of her second child, while Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Minnie Driver and Rachel Hunter are also devotees. But less than two per cent of us have given it a try, while nine per cent like a game of housey-housey.

Cinema is another popular interest, enjoyed regularly by 13 per cent of us. The report gives a breakdown of which hobbies prove the biggest hits in specific areas. When it comes to the movies, for example, the residents of Ealing are the biggest fans, with almost a third of them indulging.

Ealing is also home to the capital's keenest cooks; almost half enjoy getting creative in the kitchen, and half like eating out.

When it comes to the appreciation of the finest wine and gourmet food, Kensington residents score highest with more than 10 per cent registering their enthusiasm. They are also the keenest on fine art and antiques - almost 10 per cent say they're interested - and they are London's top travellers. More than a third cite foreign trips as a key hobby, with Archway residents hot on their holidaying heels.

In the student heaven that is Eltham, the top choice for an evening out is the pub, enjoyed by almost 60 per cent, compared to a London average of just over 20 per cent.

When they are not settled in the snug, however, a quarter of Eltham residents turn their hands to DIY home improvement.

Hampstead appears to be London's luvvie homeland. More than a third of the residents of Fitzjohns ward are interested in theatre and the arts, compared to 12 per cent London-wide.

Patrick Tate, spokesman for CACI, said: "The age and relative wealth of the communities dictates, to a large extent, the hobbies they pursue.

"In Kensington and Chelsea, where house prices are high and residents tend to be older, it is unsurprising they have some expensive tastes like fine wine and foreign travel. Eltham has a lot of young homeowners, which explains the interest in DIY.

"And Hampstead is so well known as a haven for artists, writers and performers, so it is not surprising that it attracts a community which has a love of theatre and the arts."